So...we need to talk about your LinkedIn...shh...shh...it's ok...I know...I'm not a super fan of LinkedIn either - so I'm gonna rip this off like a band-aid - it will hurt less - This post is all about: The 4 most important pieces of your LinkedIn profile! And it's going to be okay...

a professional headshot will help you get noticed in a good way

​The number one part - hands down - it's your picture. You need to have one. It must be in colour, a headshot (from the chest up), you smiling and looking at the camera - kinda like if I were to meet you in person how would that look...so no cropped out pictures, no scenic landcapes - just YOU. Please don't do a selfie, please be in focus and well lit. You don't have to get a professional photo. You should dress up professional.

Your profile (and job search) will benefit because those with a solid photo are 14X more likely to be viewed. And we want views...

channel your inner seer to discover what your future self should be aiming for - or set some goals...whatever works;)

Next up...your Headline. This is an over-looked section and many don't know the power it can unleash!

By default LinkedIn will fill this section with your current title. Get rid of that. Instead, fill up 2 or 3 lines of text that describe your professional awesomeness (aka your brand statement), industry keywords,relevant skills.

Remember how our resume is targeted to each job we apply to. Kinda hard to do that on your LinkedIn profile - so I want you to think about how your profile is targeted to that future position...whatever your future goal is...that will help you figure out the keywords and what could go in your headline.

I like to separate my headline bits with a vertical line --> | <-- to make it look crisp and clean.

Go ahead, snoop out my profile and see how mine looks;)

The next most important part of your profile - your summary...yes you need one...and yes I know how much that sucks. Let me get right to the why...it's your chance to show your personality, making you stand out from all the other candidates, and by using keywords in your summary your profile will turn up in more searches. Yes, please!

Definitly do not make it boring, 3rd person (Carron has been working in blah blah blah). Be yourself and it's ok to write in a less formal voice...in fact I encourage it!

Tell people your story, why you got into this work, why you love it and create a hook to make them want to know more about you and read further into your profile.

be yourself - your most professional and interesting version of yourself

And lastly, the 4th most important part of your LinkedIn profile - your skills.

Did you know you can edit your skills for the job you want? Add new ones in, hide old ones that don't fit any more with your goal. Yep. Get on that!

You know what you should totally do...get out your day planner and schedule in every 4-6 months a 'skill check-in' with yourself...update your skills if you have taken a course, completed a training, worked on a project. This goes for you students as well!

The endorsements help recruiters find you - your skills are the keywords and the more endorsements you have the higher ranked you will be in a recruiter's search. Bingo!

Also it's a good idea to give people in your network endorsements to keep your profile active rather than dormant. This is where you should be endorsing on the honour system...be honest and don't endorse for skills you really can't attest to.

So start thinking about what skills are related to your goals / future self and curate your top 10 list.

Oh, and peoples in my network: please go ahead and endorse me for Social Media ;)I take recommendations too!

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About Carron

Carron has been working with adults, youth, women and foreign trained professionals for over 10 years. Her focus has been on job search strategies, career exploration, career management and transition.